Resetting/recreating an account on an iMac without losing its content, possible solutions for using a Wyze Cam Pan without a smartphone, debating the inherent good/evil factor of technology, the secrecy of the FBI's iPhone-unlocking method, the legality of putting DVDs on a Plex server via Handbrake & VLC, Drobo drive connectivity issues to Windows 10 version 1803, the issues with searchable public records online, healing photos with Chris Marquardt, and more of your calls!

Guests

Audience Questions

Audience QuestionsHour 1

Max wants to know if there's a way to reset an account on macOS without destroying the data. Leo says he can delete an account without erasing the data and then recreate it. That should clean everything out. He'll have to be an administrator, and he'll have to make sure he doesn't check the box to delete the data.

Ed bought a Wyze Cam, but he doesn't have a smartphone to control it. Leo says that he would need to get a cell phone or at least a tablet for it to work. eBay is a good place to get one for cheap. Can he run it from a computer using BSD? Leo says probably not. BSD is a good OS, but it's not used by very many people. Also, Wyze hasn't created a desktop app yet.

He could use an Android emulator like Bluestacks, but he may need Windows or Linux to run it.

Kevin has a domain name and he can't get his registrar to respond to him. Leo says he'll need to contact ICANN. They are the governing body, and there he can submit a dispute demanding that he get his domain back. According to the WHOIS, the company he'll need to contact is Tucows. They are probably the new owners of that registrar.

Joe's mom tends to lose her cordless phone around the house. He's created a device to log into it remotely to turn the phone off so it's not giving a busy signal. Leo says that's a brilliant solution. But it turns the phone completely off. Leo says an easier solution is to get his mom a backup cell phone that he an call whenever it happens.

Audience QuestionsHour 2

Bob is a die hard Motorola phone user and wants to know who owns them now. Leo says that Motorola was sold to Google for $12.5 Billion, but they sold it a few years later to Lenovo in China at a $9 Billion loss. Sadly, the latest Motorola Moto phones are being designed China now. Lenovo also bought the IBM ThinkPad brand.

Bob and his wife need new phones, so what should he buy? Leo says there's a great phone at any budget for Bob and his Wife. Leo recommends the Motorola Moto Z3. The Moto G6 is half the price at $250, and it's an excellent phone.

Leo also recommends getting an Otterbox case, since Bob tends to drop his phone. But even that won't protect the screen should he drop it at just the right angle.

Are Android phones as secure as the iPhone? Leo says no. Android phones have too many holes, but the good news is that Android phones aren't really a target. But if security is the real issue, then Leo recommends the Google Pixel 2 or the Samsung Galaxy S9.

Darwin wonders what the FBI used to crack open the iPhone of a terrorist. Leo says that the FBI won't say. Leo suspects they went to an Israeli firm called Celebrite, which can unlock older iPhones with four digit codes. Which is why Apple changed the code to a six digit code and patched vulnerabilities that would allow them to bypass it. If Darwin can prove that he owns his personal iPhone, Apple can open it for him. But if it's his sister's, there's no guarantee that Apple will. But if he can prove ownership or relational link, it's possible. Apple could also give him the data if the phone is backed up to iCloud.

Darwin also uses Plex for his home theater. Is there a legal way to transfer DVDs to his Plex server? Leo says that technically, it's not legal because of the DMCA. However, if he can get it off, and probably the analog hole is the only way, there's no judge in the land that would rule that it isn't fair use. Ripping a DVD is easy using HandBrake and VideoLan Client. There are plenty of others as well. Google is his friend in this case.

Audience QuestionsHour 3

Ben runs a Drobo 5N, but after he updated Windows 10 to the 1803 update, he started having trouble with it. He reset Windows, and now the Drobo won't connect. He even tried to use the image backup and it didn't work. Leo says that Microsoft changed the way it handles the network stack in 1803, and it may require extra drivers from Drobo to fix it.

Jean wants to get a Wyze Cam, but she can't control it without a phone. So what's a good budget mobile device to buy for it? Leo says that any sub $100 Android phone or tablet should do the trick. But she'll also need internet access with a wireless router or wireless access point to be able to access it from anything. Or she can use a microSD card in the camera itself.

Rose is concerned that anyone can find out anything about her online. Leo says that public records have been put online and there's really nothing she can do about it. In Europe, she would have a legal right to be forgotten online, and Google would have to remove her from any mention of a digital record. But not in the US. Leo says it's impossible to do it anyway. One option, though, is Reputation Defender, which will bury any negative results with a lot of more recent information. It's not cheap, though. Remember, the internet is forever, even if there's errors.

The monitor of Steve's Dell Inspiron has finally bit the dust. Leo says it's probably the cable that has gone bad or worked its way loose. He should try to change the monitor cable. If that doesn't fix it, he should swap out the monitor and see if that's it. Once he has eliminated the easy stuff, then he can look inside the computer. These days, the video card is wired into the motherboard, so that means either replacing the motherboard or getting a new computer. But he should try the easiest stuff first.

David has a Netgear router and he wants to upgrade the firmware. Netgear won't do it because his support has expired. Leo says that older routers all need to be updated manually, but he doesn't need a service agreement to update it. He'd just download the firmware and install it. In fact, there should be a utility within the router settings to update the firmware. Most newer models autoupdate. So if staying updated is important, and it is, it would pay to get a new router. It'll be faster too. Mesh routers will be the best option.

What brand router should David look at? Leo says that Eero, Plume, and the NetGear Obi are the best mesh routers, but he may not really need it depending on the house he lives in. Leo says David doesn't need a mesh router unless he has dead spots or a two story house.

Routers do wear out, so if David hasn't updated in a few years, it's high time to update. Check out thewirecutter.com for reviews.

Fifteen states now have bills posed to allow citizens the right to repair what they buy. Meanwhile, companies like John Deer and Apple are being very litigious in preventing third parties from repairing their products.

With the huge suggest of Pokemon Go, the game's creator, Niantic, is set to release a new version set in the world of Harry Potter. Leo says you think it's bad now, wait until you can go after Dementors with your virtual wand. And Niantic has it's hands full right now, as home owners have sued the company over people trespassing on their private property looking for Pokemon monsters. https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/15/18226604/niantic-pokemon-go-lawsuit-c...

A decision by a court in Germany has declared that Facebook must stop collecting data on users without their consent, and give them the option to opt-out. Facebook is appealing, and says without the ability to collect data, they would have to shut down the social network access nationwide. Leo says that is part of the deal you make with Facebook. Free services for collecting data on your usage of Facebook. Someone has to pay the bills.

Leo says that folding phones are going to be the buzz word at this year's Mobile World Congress. Even Energizer, the battery company, is announcing one as part of their 26 model line of new phones. They are also going to do a phone with an 18000mAh battery, four times the battery life of the Note 9.

Leo also says sales of mobile phones have plateaued, and that means the "silly season" is about to start, where phone companies start adding "fins" and other silly features to lure customers back to buy.